Guest Review: The Lemon Tree Cafe by Cathy Bramley

When Rosie Featherstone finds herself unexpectedly jobless, the offer to help her beloved Italian grandmother out at the Lemon Tree Cafe – a little slice of Italy nestled in the rolling hills of Derbyshire – feels like the perfect way to keep busy.

Surrounded by the rich scent of espresso, delicious biscotti and juicy village gossip, Rosie soon finds herself falling for her new way of life. But she is haunted by a terrible secret, one that even the appearance of a handsome new face can't quite help her move on from. 

Then disaster looms and the cafe’s fortunes are threatened . . . and Rosie discovers that her nonna has been hiding a dark past of her own. With surprises, betrayal and more than one secret brewing, can she find a way to save the Lemon Tree Cafe and help both herself and Nonna achieve the happy endings they deserve?

Review: This latest book from the brilliant Cathy Bramley was originally published as a 4-part e-serial, but will shortly be available in its entirety as a paperback and e-book. Serialised books are not my favourite format, as I am just too impatient to wait for the next part, but being a story from one of my favourite authors, I had to jump in as soon as I could. As anticipated, each part was worth waiting for. 

The story tells the tale of Rosie, her family and the Lemon Tree Cafe, run for many years in the quaint little Derbyshire village of Barnaby by her nonna, Maria. When Rosie agrees to help out in the cafe while between jobs, she has no idea what lies ahead and how her life is about to change. Whilst she herself has been hiding a dark and terrible secret that has affected her life for more years than she cares to remember, she finds that Maria has a long-hidden secret of her own. 

The story is absolutely full of interesting characters and plenty of drama. Avid readers of Cathy Bramley books will recognise a few familiar faces from a previous book, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. In addition, there are some typical village characters, often adding a touch of humour. There is a taste of Italy throughout the book, especially in the cafe, where we are treated to Mediterranean specialities, even some of my favourite limoncello. 

I have really enjoyed this book and am sure that others will also. I found Rosie a likeable character and admired her willingness to put her career aside to help her grandmother. As always, I found Cathy Bramley's style of writing easy to read but not lacking in depth. In fact, I read each part of the e-serial in one sitting, waiting impatiently for the next. Now I am eagerly anticipating her next book.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK